Desloratadine

Desloratadine treats allergy symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. It can also treat hives.

Desloratadine Overview

Updated: May 8, 2015

Desloratadine is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of allergies, such as sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. It is also used to treat chronic (long lasting) hives and itching.

Desloratadine belongs to a group of drugs called antihistamines. These medications work by blocking histamine release from human mast cells to help relieve sneezing, itching, runny nose, and watery eyes.

Desloratadine comes in the form of tablet and oral solution. Desloratadine also is available as orally disintegrating tablets (Desloratadine RediTabs). It is usually taken once a day, with or without food.

Some of the common side effects of desloratadine include sore throat, dry mouth, muscle pain, and tiredness.

Desloratadine Interactions

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Desloratadine may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how desloratadine works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

ketoconazole (Nizoral)

erythromycin (Ery-tab, Eryc, PCE)

azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax)

antihistamines

fluoxetine (Prozac)

cimetidine (Tagamet)

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Desloratadine Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of desloratadine there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving desloratadine.

Inform MD

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if desloratadine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Desloratadine can pass into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take desloratadine.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Desloratadine may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how desloratadine works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

ketoconazole (Nizoral)

erythromycin (Ery-tab, Eryc, PCE)

azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax)

antihistamines

fluoxetine (Prozac)

cimetidine (Tagamet)

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Desloratadine Usage

Do not change your dose of desloratadine or take more often than prescribed.

Desloratadine can be taken with or without food.

Place desloratadine RediTabs on your tongue and allow it to dissolve before swallowing. Desloratadine RediTabs can be taken with or without water. Take your desloratadine RediTabs right away after opening the blister.

Take desloratadine oral solution with a measuring dropper or oral syringe that can measure 2 mL or 2.5 mL. Ask your pharmacist for a dropper or syringe if you do not have one.

If you take too much desloratadine, call your doctor or get medical attention right away.

Desloratadine Dosage

In adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older, the recommended dose of desloratadine is 5 mg once daily. Your doctor will probably lower the dose if you have liver or kidney problems. The recommended dose of desloratadine in children 6 to 11 years of age is 2.5 mg once daily. The recommended dose of desloratadine in children 12 months to 5 years of age is 1.25 mg once daily. For children 6 to 11 months of age, the recommended dose is 1 mg daily.

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